Miami basketball non-conference schedule not outside Florida until December 1

The Miami basketball program announced its 2021-22 non-conference schedule on Thursday. Miami does not travel outside of Florida until its December 1 game at Penn State in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge. The Hurricanes open their 2021-22 season with an exhibition game against Division II Nova Southeastern in Coral Gables.

Miami will play their true season opener on November 9 at home against Canisius. Home games against Canisius on November 9 and UCF on the 13 preceded a rare game at Florida Atlantic on November 13 before Miami returns home to play Florida A&M. Miami first leaves South Florida for the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando.

The Hurricanes open ESPN Events Invitational play on November 25, Thanksgiving Day, against Dayton. Miami will play either North Texas or Kansas in its second game in Orlando. The bottom half of the bracket features Alabama against Iona and Belmont versus Drake. The top half is prohibitively tougher.

After playing at Penn State, the Miami basketball team has home games against Lipscomb and Stetson sandwiched around a game against Fordham at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn. Miami played against Temple in Brooklyn in 2019. Those games provide head coach Jim Larranaga a chance to return to his roots.

The non-conference schedule is challenging especially if Miami defeats Dayton and matches up with Kansas in Orlando. Offseason addition Charlie Moore was on the Jayhawks for two seasons. Moore averaged 2.9 points per game in just 13.1 average minutes in his least productive year in college.

The ACC will announce the full conference schedule later this year. Miami knows they will play 2021-22 Florida State, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Virginia and Wake Forest
home and away. Clemson, North Carolina, NC State and Notre Dame at home only and Boston College, Duke, Louisville and Pitt away.

Miami has a rebuilt roster entering 2021-22. In addition to Moore, Jordan Miller joined Miami as a transfer from George Mason. The Hurricanes welcome freshmen, Bensley Joseph, Nisine Poplar and Jakai Robinson. Miami lost five transfers in the 2021 offseason but is led by returnees Kam McGusty and Isaiah Wong.